Zero stepped out of the shuttle and onto the flight deck of the Mordor. The ship was impressive, especially with the complements of Stormtroopers that were being transferred in. All had been outfitted with the latest assault weaponry and armor available to them. Zero himself had a Z-6 Rotary Cannon and a grenade launcher strapped to his person, along with everything his armor provided.

By the time the traitors realized what force hit them, it would be too late to beg forgiveness. He had already set it into his targeting systems and command protocols. There would be no survivors, no mercy shown to the pigs. All he had to do was wait for Skirata to arrive with his Marines; and they would be ready to bring hell to the traitors._________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

Sorry for the wait, but many things were in the way of this. Many of them have cleared up, though a few issues still remain.

Kal calmly marched to the front of the bridge of the Gauntlet, towards General Zero. He was dressed in full Mandalorian battle armor; death black with a few parts trimmed in a blood red color, customized to his liking.
He also had a full loadout of weaponsl; an MA-1 Heavy Assault rifle slung over his shoulder with a bandoleer of grenades, a Verpine Shattergun in a hip holster, and a Vibrosword with Cortosis weave at his side. In addition to that there were the weapons that were built into his suit like the wrist blaster, flamethrower, and assorted blades.

He was armed for war...

"The Marines will go ahead of us in the Black Star, something I told them to do. They'll rendevous with us after we arrive at Mandalore." Kal said to the cyborg next to him, his gaze locked outside the viewport. "Helm, best speed to Mandalore." he said.
He faced the cold black of space, watching as the ship started to enter hyperspace, "While faithless traitors still live, there can be no forgiveness..." he uttered in almost a whisper.

The moment they exited hyperspace orders were given out, "Phobos, Shitsumon, and Shokei are to follow us on a sweep of the outer edge of the system. Imperator Deimos will take the rest of the ships and proceed inwards in a thorough search."

"What are we searching for sir?" asked one of the bridge officers.
"Anything out of the ordinary, be vigilant in the search." he turned to Zero, "If I didn't know you I'd have thought you to be a navy officer, that was an adequate deployment recommendation you offered."_________________

Zero inserted a hardline uplink into the terminal he was standing by as the strike force dropped from hyperspace. The information from the system scans poured into his processors, filling his vision. Real time mapping updated constantly as he switched it to a wireless link and walked to the viewport, gazing out at the normal view as the mapping overlapped the sight in his vision. Smiling slightly at Skirata's comment, he continued to view the scene outside as he plotted movements and possible scenarios in his mid.

" I cross referenced my own ideas with the large database of tactics stored in my neural network. The CPU gave me the best options and I chose the one that suited my tastes. Not much different from how you would have done it, I assume."

He turned and looked up at the taller man, giving a reassuring smile, blasters twitching slightly on their forearm mounts as his CPU began running possible combat scenarios for the inevitable battle ahead. " We will find her, Admiral. The traitors are far too proud to not end up revealing themselves to us. Then, we will crush them and bring her home safely."_________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

Kal closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of ten years prior, "I hope we do find her Zero, I really do. I lost her once before and I'll be damned if I'm going to lose her again. I'll blaze a path of destruction through the galaxy if I have to, I won't lose her. Not this time."_________________

Zero looked at the man sadly. There was no way he could find himself trying to assure him any further. Skirata knew what he had lost, that made the drive to regain her so important. Zero, on the other hand, while losing everything of his childhood; had no memory at all of what he had been taken away from. Bits and pieces in dreams were not enough to give him a full scope to realize everything he had lost. However, it would not stop his resolve to assist Skirata.

" Sirs," came a voice from the tactical stations. " I've got multiple contacts showing up, reports of the same from the main force." Zero looked to Skirata. " Well, time to fight, isn't it? let's show them what happens to traitors of the Empire."

Hope that doesn't mess your plans or nothin', Kal. Just working with what you said in your Solomon post. _________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

"Perhaps it is time to fight...I want those ships scanned. A proper identification before they're obliterated..." He was about to continue but he winced and grabbed his forehead with his left hand and groaned, a searing pain raging through his head. "She's here!" he shouted as the pain started to subside.

"That son of a bitch...Zero, these are truly the worst scum that roam the stars today, mercs and pirates the lot of them. The Zann Consortium, they're the only ones that still use worthless ships like these." It was strange that the feeling from Ryoko wasn't coming in the direction that the Consortium ships were, but he didn't question it. This "feeling", whatever it was, hadn't steered him wrong yet.

"Are they assuming a hostile stance tactical?"
"Aye sir, weapons hot, shields raised."
"Send them straight to hell then." he spat bitterly as every ship in the strike force converged and opened fire on the group of enemy ships._________________

Zero watched the battle with morbid curiosity. Standing near a terminal, he had plugged a hardline connection in to gather data from other ships in the strike force while he watched what he could from the viewports. The streams of data that flowed into his mind reflected on his lenses as he gazed wide-eyed with interest out the viewport. Something didn't seem right. The traitors' ships were horribly outmatched. The fight was so one sided, Zero was sure that even an addition of reinforcements of the same ships in the same numbers wouldn't make a difference for the incredibly outclassed 'Consortium'.

He cocked his head to the left with fascination as he continued to watch. " Admiral... far be it from me to question your naval tactics. However, doesn't it seem odd that the traitors' would send so many numbers against us in what is an incredibly outmatched battle. Our ships, tactics and firepower are far superior, yet they strike at us so willingly. So quickly, they go to die..."_________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

Kal grinned evilly, "I know it's a trap Zero, Solomon left us the coordinates after all, he knew we would come. That's why I sent the Black Star ahead...to get a little something for the rabble to chew on." He stared at the sight outside the main viewport, the Consortium ships were being torn apart from experienced gunnery crews and missile strikes. They never had a chance.

As the last of the ships were being mopped up by the Imperators the Gauntlet was rocked by several hits from an unknown source. "Report!" Kal yelled.
The bridge crew frantically attempted to ascertain where the new threat was, "Heavy turbolaser fire sir, unknown origin."

Skirata gritted his teeth, "A cloaking system...well played Jason, strike from the shadows..." The ship was rocked by another barrage. "All ships fire at will, scatter fire to cover all arcs." The strike force went into action, each ship coordinating it's fire with the others to lessen the chance of a friendly fire incident.

Kal winced again in pain as he felt that presence once more, much closer this time. "Ryoko..." he whispered._________________

The servos in Zero's armor worked with the con nection to his heavily enhanced skeletal structure to prevent him from falling over. He knew the armor might have appeared unnessicarily bulky and unwieldy to the ill informed, but, it worked in perfect unison with the cybernetics that were fused to his body to create an incredibly impressive unison of biological and technical achievements. He couldn't wait to show it to the traitors'...

Rushing to the viewport, he stared out across the expnse of space, eyes scanning over the void...

" Admiral!", Zero shouted excitedly, as his scanners picked up the ion trail of something very large and logged the coordinates. He rushed to the nearest teminal and uploaded the coordinates and the ion signature. " There! Targeting, send data to gunners on port side!" He hurried to face Skirata, eyes seeming to glow with the constant stream of battle data that he was streaming in wirelessely from the ship's computers. " We need to find a way to disable their cloaks. The ship....whatever it is, it's ion trail suggests that it is far larger than this. Possibly better armed, I won't rule it out."

" If we can disable it's cloaking device, we can spot it and board. I suggest a tactical and decisive barrage of concussion missile and ion cannon fire."_________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

Kal smiled at the man, more and more he was growing to like the new General. "Weapons control, you heard the man, jump to it."
Just then, the officer monitoring the sensors spoke up, "Sir, new contact at the edge of the system. Correction, two contacts exiting hyperspace...tracking one Venator class ship, the other is not in our database. They're transmitting a coded friend or foe signal and are hailing. Patching it through now."

"This is the battlecruiser Harbinger, Admiral Skirata are you receiving?"

"I'm here Harbinger, I see the Black Star got through to you just in time. We're relaying targeting coordinates to you now."

"Understood Admiral."

Kal turned to Zero, "And the tables turn...enjoy the show."
Moments later a lance of white hot durasteel soared through space and slammed into an invisible object.
The slug, several thousand tons of solid durasteel, was fired from the latest in Imperial warships, the Harbinger. The impact was enough to disrupt the cloak of the Consortium warship for several seconds, long enough for the strike force to get a clear look at it._________________

Zero watched in awe as the durasteel projectile slammed home into the cloaked ship. " Incredible...", he muttered softly, admiring the weapon system's efficiency and brutality. Turning to face Skirata, he smiled and gestured towards the door. " I'll gather my men and prepare to board. You're going to need to fill me in on this new weapon, I don't have anything like it in my files."

With that, he turned and headed for the door leading off of the bridge. " Don't let me have all of the fun, I'd hate to have to leave no traitors for you to kill!"_________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

"It's not in your files because it is the first of it's kind. I even helped create it..." Kal was interrupted abruptly by a familiar voice and the sight of not only the traitor on the main monitor, but his now decloaking ship. An old Lucrehulk class battleship, it's default loadout was average by modern standards.

But if there was one thing that was commonly known about the Consortium, it was that there was always more than what was seen...

"Nice trick old friend, you built a new toy to come after me. I'm almost flattered." Came the voice of the traitor.

"You think too highly of yourself traitor. It's purpose was to further the Empire's strength, I didn't design it to hunt failures like yourself."

"I'm hurt Kal, I would have thought you'd have more respect for me..." he said as he issued a hand gesture to someone off screen.

"I did, until you stabbed your fellow Marines and your commanding officer, not to mention the Empire you'd sworn to protect, in the back with your treachery."

"...especially since I have your little whore here." Solomon said as he held Ryoko up to the monitor by the throat. She had several cuts and bruises, and by the sound of it she was having a hard time breathing.

Skirata gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. It was calm, but laced with a fury he carried within him, "Let her go Jason. If you harm her you know I'll hunt you to the ends of the galaxy and back, you know I'll tear you apart with my bare hands and display your broken, bloody corpse in front of the Imperial palace as a testament to the fate of traitors."

"You're one to talk Skirata...you were the one who killed a superior officer after all. You should have received the death penalty for your crime, but our soft, gullible Empire let you live."

"That commanding officer disobeyed an order from one of the Grand Admirals, spat at the chain of command, he deserved what he got for his disloyalty."

Solomon laughed, "I do enjoy this conversation Kal, but I have things to attend to. We will meet again soon. Don't bother boarding us either, our shields are still plenty strong, and even if they were down...I could simply slit her throat. Good day, old friend."

"You son of a...tractor beams!" It was too late, the battleship had gone to lightspeed. Kal had failed, she was gone once more. "Ryoko..." he said as he put his right hand against the window and lowered his head._________________

Zero watched in shock as the colossal battleship escaped their clutches. They had done so much to get here. So much effort to make it to this point and save Skirata's lover; and it all disappeared in the flash of lightspeed.He walked up to Skirata and made to offer a gesture of sympathy, but turned his back to the man and looked at the deck of the bridge sullenly. What could they do now? They had come all this way... and now it seemed to be hopeless to rescue the woman.

The girl looked up at him smiling. " I can't believe that tonight is your Ceremony." He frowned and looked down, staring at the dead Swoop that lay next to the crude rifle his people had made since the Warrior From The Sky had taught them to fight the Swoops so many years ago. " yeah... it's going to be....great..."

Abnormal Subconscious Activity Detected...

Possible Memory Sequence...

Synapse Activity Recorded...

Memory Logged...

Zero straightened up at the sudden memory. It was the girl from his dream. The one named Iris. The same strange planet he was sure was his home. The same strange language he knew must be his native tongue. He had lost all of that. He would not let that happen to Skirata. Face set with determination, he looked to the helm controls. " I want a list of uninhabited systems within range of that ship uploaded to my CPU, now!" Turning to face Skirata, he walked up to the man and looked out the window with him.

" He wants you to find him. Only this time, when we do, we're going to disable him immediately. I have the ion signature locked into my systems and he will not be able to use that cloak. We're going to catch him, Admiral. And when we do, I will let you have him personally."_________________Field Marshal Zero
Mobile Forces Adviser to Colonel-General Scyntor

<Rank image pending...>

Scyntor: Oh and this is my new best friend Zero...no...noooo...don't point the big experimental plasma weapon at the nice rebel leader...

"Fine Zero...first we have some business on Mandalore's surface. Once we're done there, we'll resume the hunt." Skirata said emotionless and cold. The fire in his tone before the battle had now vanished, leaving an empty void.

He turned to leave the bridge, his destination being the docking bay and then a shuttle. Aside from gathering the required materials for the Marines' new armor on Mandalore, there was something else that he felt had to be done down there._________________

With their business finished on Mandalore and Skirata still recuperating, Zero was left to give the next set of orders to the dtrike force. Looking at the surface of Mandalore regretfully, he hadn't learned nearly as much as he had hoped, he mulled the possible decisions over in his mind. The huntress, Vel, would find where Solomon was or Zero would unfortunately have to find her and force her to give back the Imperial credits he had given her. It would be regrettable, as he wished her no harm and was sure she would n9ot relinquish them easily. No, he was sure as a Mandalorian she had the honor to finish her contract dutifully. Otherwise, why would Skirata have chosen her?

" General Zero? Sir? Your orders?" Zero lloked back to the navigation controls and nodded. " Set course for Carida, have a message sent to Colonel General Scyntor informing of our course."